Yesterday I chaired our first committee hearing on California's Downtown Recovery, where we heard from 4 big city mayors @LondonBreed @RexRichardson @MayorLockDawson @Mayor_Steinberg, state and city experts, and discussed solutions to support California's struggling downtowns, including legislation I've introduced. Struggling downtowns are a statewide challenge that urgently require a statewide solution. As a state, we must align our investments, resources, infrastructure, incentives, along with lifting bureaucratic hurdles and removing red tape. In order for California to thrive, our downtowns must thrive. Every big city in California is facing problems getting their downtown cores back up to pre-pandemic levels. This committee will work to develop a statewide plan that will direct resources and policy solutions to the right efforts and help us clear the bureaucratic hurdles that are getting in the way of recovery and enhance safety and cleanliness. That's already happening with over 30 bills on the table right now that can support our downtowns. California has the 5th largest economy in the world. And our downtowns bring in revenue, tourists, businesses, and culture to our cities. We can’t let them become blighted, we have to work together to ensure they come back stronger and safer.